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Probably been diskussed on here before, but something I've had conversations about which really riles me and some others i know:

with all this new folk music and stuff, loads of acoustic stuff around, there is this ridiculous idea that just a voice and a guitar makes a song more heartfelt and serious and beautiful that with lots of instruments, interesting arrangements and stuff (see Heartbeats/Iron and Wine doing Such Great Heights). It's totally not true. How ridiculous people are...

the fact i've not heard Such Great Heights for literally months, except for the Iron and Wine cover, then yesterday I put Give Up on for the first time in aaages, and was just thinking "why do i listen to that cover instead of this version. This version is so much more beautiful and emotional and lovely"

jose gonsales' version of kylie's 'hand on your heart' is gorgeous. (i saw he's on the latitude bill above part chimp but below mogwai, what a f***ing weird day!)

There's a lot to be said for Ben Gibbard's solo acoustic stuff that's been on the blogs recently, especially his KEXP session that puts both death cab and postal service to shame, I prefer the acoustic versions of 'evan and chan' and 'lack of colour' to the originals. then again, it's probably all down to the strength of the performer isn't it? there's a million buskers that routinely mutilate songs in their component forms...

it doesnt automatically make a song better when its stripped back. a lot of the time, songs are nicer that way though. personal preference perhaps? id rather listen to jose gonzalez than the knife because, shock horror, i like the style of music he creates more.

is the idea that there has to be a definitive version of a song. Acoustic versions of songs can be good and to too can the version with more instrumentation or production.

Stripping a song down to its bare bones won't necessarily result in a better version but it will result in a different version and bring out certain facets of the song (while perhaps losing others) and it can be good that there's more than one version.